Pyramid Pick: Stephenson's Rocket

Pyramid Pick

Stephenson's Rocket

Published by Rio Grande Games/Pegasus Spiele

Designed by Reiner Knizia

Boardgame for 2-4 players, $39.95

Stephenson's Rocket is a game by Reiner Knizia, who designs so many games, there is a running joke that he is, in fact, 12 or more people. The name comes from a famous locomotive of the 1830's, and the game is an elegant addition to the rail game genre. The board is a nice-looking map of England with a hex grid that extends to Liverpool and Bristol in the west and Leeds and York in the north.

The game has no element of luck, but the actions of other players provide plenty of uncertainty. Money is used, but only to keep score -- you do not have to manage your cash flow in this game. Players are forced to make tough decisions every turn, and the rules interact to require advance planning.

Players perform two actions each turn from a list of three (you can do the same one twice). The most involved is extending a railway line. There are seven railway lines, each with a different colored train token and starting position on the board. To extend the line, you move the train token to one of the three hexes in front of the train token, orienting the back of the train to the hex you came from, and take a share of that company.

Player interaction (besides the normal cajoling and complaining) comes in the form of vetoes. If anyone else has shares in the line you are extending, they can try to veto your move (or force you to . . .

This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.



Article publication date: May 19, 2000

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